Legal claims defining the scope of protection, as filed with the USPTO.
1. A method of operating a mobile communications device positioned within an internal network, the internal network being separated from one or more external networks by network address translation (NAT) and/or a firewall, comprising: establishing NAT and/or firewall settings by which the mobile communications device can be contacted through the NAT and/or firewall from the one or more external networks, the NAT and/or firewall settings configured to be disabled after a threshold period of traffic inactivity; and refraining from transmitting keep-alive packets from the mobile communications device based on an expectation that one or more assisting wireless communications devices within the internal network will be instructed to transmit the keep-alive packets on behalf of the mobile communications device so as to maintain the established NAT and/or firewall settings for the mobile communications device.
2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising: registering at least one client application on the mobile communications device with an application server that is configured to support the at least one client application, the application server being positioned within the one or more external networks.
3. The method of claim 2 , further comprising: obtaining an application-layer Internet Protocol (IP) address that is associated with a packet data end point positioned behind the NAT and/or firewall along with the mobile communications device, wherein the registering step includes reporting the IP address of the packet data end point to the application server.
4. The method of claim 2 , wherein the application server instructs an assisting application server within the internal network to transmit the keep-alive packets on behalf of the mobile communications device so as to maintain the established NAT and/or firewall settings.
5. The method of claim 4 , wherein the assisting application server within the internal network instructs the one or more wireless communications devices to transmit the keep-alive packets on behalf of the mobile communications device so as to maintain the established NAT and/or firewall settings.
6. The method of claim 1 , wherein a transmission interval between transmissions of the keep-alive packets by the one or more assisting wireless communications devices is no greater than the threshold period of traffic inactivity.
7. A method of operating an application server positioned within an external network and configured to support at least one client application on a mobile communications device positioned within an internal network, the internal network being separated from the external network by network address translation (NAT) and/or a firewall, comprising: receiving information associated with NAT and/or firewall settings by which the mobile communications device can be contacted through the NAT and/or firewall from the external network, the NAT and/or firewall settings configured to be disabled after a threshold period of traffic inactivity; and instructing an assisting application server within the internal network to transmit keep-alive packets on behalf of the mobile communications device so as to maintain the established NAT and/or firewall settings for the mobile communications device.
8. The method of claim 7 , wherein the mobile communications device is permitted to refrain from transmitting the keep-alive packets based on an expectation the keep-alive packets will be transmitted on its behalf within the internal network.
9. The method of claim 7 , wherein the instructing step instructs the assisting application server to instruct one or more assisting wireless communications devices within the internal network to transmit the keep-alive packets on behalf of the mobile communications device so as to maintain the established NAT and/or firewall settings.
10. The method of claim 7 , wherein the received information corresponds to an initial registration of the at least one client application with the application server.
11. The method of claim 10 , wherein the received information corresponds to a notification that the established NAT and/or firewall settings have been updated.
12. The method of claim 11 , wherein the update of the established NAT and/or firewall settings is based on a handoff of the mobile communications device from the internal network to another internal network that is separated from the external network by another NAT and/or firewall.
13. The method of claim 11 , wherein the update of the established NAT and/or firewall settings is not based on a handoff of the mobile communications device from the internal network to another internal network that is separated from the external network by another NAT and/or firewall.
14. The method of claim 7 , wherein a transmission interval between transmissions of the keep-alive packets by the one or more assisting wireless communications devices is no greater than the threshold period of traffic inactivity.
15. A method of operating an assisting application server positioned within an internal network that is associated with an application server positioned within an external network and configured to support at least one client application on a mobile communications device positioned within the internal network, the internal network being separated from the external network by network address translation (NAT) and/or a firewall, comprising: receiving instructions from the application server to transmit keep-alive packets on behalf of the mobile communications device so as to maintain NAT and/or firewall settings by which the mobile communications device can be contacted through the NAT and/or firewall from the external network, the NAT and/or firewall settings configured to be disabled after a threshold period of traffic inactivity; and instructing one or more assisting wireless communications devices within the internal network to transmit keep-alive packets on behalf of the mobile communications device so as to maintain the established NAT and/or firewall settings.
16. The method of claim 15 , further comprising: receiving supplemental instructions from the application server that update the manner in which the keep-alive packets are to be configured for transmission.
17. The method of claim 15 , further comprising: receiving supplemental instructions from the application server that request that the assisting application server stop transmitting the keep-alive packets on behalf of the mobile communications device.
18. The method of claim 15 , wherein a transmission interval between transmissions of the keep-alive packets by the one or more assisting wireless communications devices is no greater than the threshold period of traffic inactivity.
19. A method of operating an assisting wireless communications device positioned within an internal network that is coupled to an assisting application server also positioned within the internal network, the assisting application server further associated with an application server positioned within an external network and configured to support at least one client application on a mobile communications device positioned within the internal network, the internal network being separated from the external network by network address translation (NAT) and/or a firewall, comprising: receiving instructions from the assisting application server to transmit keep-alive packets on behalf of the mobile communications device so as to maintain NAT and/or firewall settings by which the mobile communications device can be contacted through the NAT and/or firewall from the external network, the NAT and/or firewall settings configured to be disabled after a threshold period of traffic inactivity; and transmitting the keep-alive packets in accordance with the received instructions.
20. The method of claim 19 , wherein the transmitted keep-alive packets are each configured to masquerade as keep-alive packets sent by the mobile communications device such that one or more network entities receiving the transmitted keep-alive packets interpret the transmitted keep-alive packets as if sent by the mobile communications device instead of the assisting wireless communications device.
21. The method of claim 19 , further comprising: receiving supplemental instructions from the assisting application server that update the manner in which the keep-alive packets are to be configured for transmission.
22. The method of claim 19 , further comprising: receiving supplemental instructions from the assisting application server that request that the assisting wireless communications device stop transmitting the keep-alive packets on behalf of the mobile communications device.
23. The method of claim 19 , wherein the transmitting step includes: transmitting the keep-alive packets at a transmission interval that is no greater than the threshold period of traffic inactivity.
24. A mobile communications device positioned within an internal network, the internal network being separated from one or more external networks by network address translation (NAT) and/or a firewall, comprising: means for establishing NAT and/or firewall settings by which the mobile communications device can be contacted through the NAT and/or firewall from the one or more external networks, the NAT and/or firewall settings configured to be disabled after a threshold period of traffic inactivity; and means for refraining from transmitting keep-alive packets from the mobile communications device based on an expectation that one or more assisting wireless communications devices within the internal network will be instructed to transmit the keep-alive packets on behalf of the mobile communications device so as to maintain the established NAT and/or firewall settings for the mobile communications device.
25. An application server positioned within an external network and configured to support at least one client application on a mobile communications device positioned within an internal network, the internal network being separated from the external network by network address translation (NAT) and/or a firewall, comprising: means for receiving information associated with NAT and/or firewall settings by which the mobile communications device can be contacted through the NAT and/or firewall from the external network, the NAT and/or firewall settings configured to be disabled after a threshold period of traffic inactivity; and means for instructing an assisting application server within the internal network to transmit keep-alive packets on behalf of the mobile communications device so as to maintain the established NAT and/or firewall settings for the mobile communications device.
26. An assisting application server positioned within an internal network that is associated with an application server positioned within an external network and configured to support at least one client application on a mobile communications device positioned within the internal network, the internal network being separated from the external network by network address translation (NAT) and/or a firewall, comprising: means for receiving instructions from the application server to transmit keep-alive packets on behalf of the mobile communications device so as to maintain NAT and/or firewall settings by which the mobile communications device can be contacted through the NAT and/or firewall from the external network, the NAT and/or firewall settings configured to be disabled after a threshold period of traffic inactivity; and means for instructing one or more assisting wireless communications devices within the internal network to transmit keep-alive packets on behalf of the mobile communications device so as to maintain the established NAT and/or firewall settings.
27. An assisting wireless communications device positioned within an internal network that is coupled to an assisting application server also positioned within the internal network, the assisting application server further associated with an application server positioned within an external network and configured to support at least one client application on a mobile communications device positioned within the internal network, the internal network being separated from the external network by network address translation (NAT) and/or a firewall, comprising: means for receiving instructions from the assisting application server to transmit keep-alive packets on behalf of the mobile communications device so as to maintain NAT and/or firewall settings by which the mobile communications device can be contacted through the NAT and/or firewall from the external network, the NAT and/or firewall settings configured to be disabled after a threshold period of traffic inactivity; and means for transmitting the keep-alive packets in accordance with the received instructions.
28. A mobile communications device positioned within an internal network, the internal network being separated from one or more external networks by network address translation (NAT) and/or a firewall, comprising: a processor; a memory; logic configured to establish NAT and/or firewall settings by which the mobile communications device can be contacted through the NAT and/or firewall from the one or more external networks, the NAT and/or firewall settings configured to be disabled after a threshold period of traffic inactivity; and logic configured to refrain from transmitting keep-alive packets from the mobile communications device based on an expectation that one or more assisting wireless communications devices within the internal network will be instructed to transmit the keep-alive packets on behalf of the mobile communications device so as to maintain the established NAT and/or firewall settings for the mobile communications device.
29. An application server positioned within an external network and configured to support at least one client application on a mobile communications device positioned within an internal network, the internal network being separated from the external network by network address translation (NAT) and/or a firewall, comprising: a processor; a memory; logic configured to receive information associated with NAT and/or firewall settings by which the mobile communications device can be contacted through the NAT and/or firewall from the external network, the NAT and/or firewall settings configured to be disabled after a threshold period of traffic inactivity; and logic configured to instruct an assisting application server within the internal network to transmit keep-alive packets on behalf of the mobile communications device so as to maintain the established NAT and/or firewall settings for the mobile communications device.
30. An assisting application server positioned within an internal network that is associated with an application server positioned within an external network and configured to support at least one client application on a mobile communications device positioned within the internal network, the internal network being separated from the external network by network address translation (NAT) and/or a firewall, comprising: a processor; a memory; logic configured to receive instructions from the application server to transmit keep-alive packets on behalf of the mobile communications device so as to maintain NAT and/or firewall settings by which the mobile communications device can be contacted through the NAT and/or firewall from the external network, the NAT and/or firewall settings configured to be disabled after a threshold period of traffic inactivity; and logic configured to instruct one or more assisting wireless communications devices within the internal network to transmit keep-alive packets on behalf of the mobile communications device so as to maintain the established NAT and/or firewall settings.
31. An assisting wireless communications device positioned within an internal network that is coupled to an assisting application server also positioned within the internal network, the assisting application server further associated with an application server positioned within an external network and configured to support at least one client application on a mobile communications device positioned within the internal network, the internal network being separated from the external network by network address translation (NAT) and/or a firewall, comprising: a processor; a memory; logic configured to receive instructions from the assisting application server to transmit keep-alive packets on behalf of the mobile communications device so as to maintain NAT and/or firewall settings by which the mobile communications device can be contacted through the NAT and/or firewall from the external network, the NAT and/or firewall settings configured to be disabled after a threshold period of traffic inactivity; and logic configured to transmit the keep-alive packets in accordance with the received instructions.
32. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium containing instructions stored thereon, which, when executed by a mobile communications device positioned within an internal network, the internal network being separated from one or more external networks by network address translation (NAT) and/or a firewall, cause the mobile communications device to perform operations, the instructions comprising: program code to establish NAT and/or firewall settings by which the mobile communications device can be contacted through the NAT and/or firewall from the one or more external networks, the NAT and/or firewall settings configured to be disabled after a threshold period of traffic inactivity; and program code to refrain from transmitting keep-alive packets from the mobile communications device based on an expectation that one or more assisting wireless communications devices within the internal network will be instructed to transmit the keep-alive packets on behalf of the mobile communications device so as to maintain the established NAT and/or firewall settings for the mobile communications device.
33. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium containing instructions stored thereon, which, when executed by an application server positioned within an external network and configured to support at least one client application on a mobile communications device positioned within an internal network, the internal network being separated from the external network by network address translation (NAT) and/or a firewall, cause the application server to perform operations, the instructions comprising: program code to receive information associated with NAT and/or firewall settings by which the mobile communications device can be contacted through the NAT and/or firewall from the external network, the NAT and/or firewall settings configured to be disabled after a threshold period of traffic inactivity; and program code to instruct an assisting application server within the internal network to transmit keep-alive packets on behalf of the mobile communications device so as to maintain the established NAT and/or firewall settings for the mobile communications device.
34. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium containing instructions stored thereon, which, when executed by an assisting application server positioned within an internal network that is associated with an application server positioned within an external network and configured to support at least one client application on a mobile communications device positioned within the internal network, the internal network being separated from the external network by network address translation (NAT) and/or a firewall, cause the assisting application server to perform operations, the instructions comprising: program code to receive instructions from the application server to transmit keep-alive packets on behalf of the mobile communications device so as to maintain NAT and/or firewall settings by which the mobile communications device can be contacted through the NAT and/or firewall from the external network, the NAT and/or firewall settings configured to be disabled after a threshold period of traffic inactivity; and program code to instruct one or more assisting wireless communications devices within the internal network to transmit keep-alive packets on behalf of the mobile communications device so as to maintain the established NAT and/or firewall settings.
35. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium containing instructions stored thereon, which, when executed by an assisting wireless communications device positioned within an internal network that is coupled to an assisting application server also positioned within the internal network, the assisting application server further associated with an application server positioned within an external network and configured to support at least one client application on a mobile communications device positioned within the internal network, the internal network being separated from the external network by network address translation (NAT) and/or a firewall, cause the assisting wireless communications device to perform operations, the instructions comprising: program code to receive instructions from the assisting application server to transmit keep-alive packets on behalf of the mobile communications device so as to maintain NAT and/or firewall settings by which the mobile communications device can be contacted through the NAT and/or firewall from the external network, the NAT and/or firewall settings configured to be disabled after a threshold period of traffic inactivity; and program code to transmit the keep-alive packets in accordance with the received instructions.
Unknown
July 16, 2013
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